Drug dealer's partner granted bail

A woman arrested in a police raid that netted big time drug dealer Jordan Azzopardi has been granted bail after spending two months in custody.

The 30-year-old mother of five whose name has been withheld from publication at the orders of the court had been arrested in March as she left an apartment in Madliena after meeting Azzopardi.

Azzopardi was later arrested at a McDonald’s car park in Gharghur. 

The woman had been noticed by police surveillance teams as she sat in the passenger seat of Azzopardi’s black Skoda on the same evening that he had been arrested.

Upon reaching the Gharghur car park, the woman had driven off in another car and was followed by undercover officers to a property in Madliena and arrested.

The woman had been arraigned together with Azzopardi and 66-year old Mario Abdilla, who had admitted to being involved in a fake cash scam, allegedly masterminded by Azzopardi. 

Abdilla had been jailed for three years upon admitting guilt.

The woman, however, pleaded not guilty to being involved in a criminal conspiracy, fraudulently circulating fake cash and defrauding three stores in San Ġwann and Sliema, as well as possession of cannabis.

While the compilation of evidence against Azzopardi and the woman continues, the defence filed a bail application for each of the co-accused.

On Friday, Madame Justice Edwina Grima, presiding over the Criminal Court, upheld the application in respect of the woman after noting that all civilian witnesses, apart from one who was already in prison, had testified.

Taking into account the woman’s clean criminal record and the fact that the parties had agreed that, being a mother of five, the risk of her absconding was small, the court upheld the bail request.

She was released from arrest against a deposit of €15,000, a personal guarantee of €30,000, and ordered to sign a bail book daily and obey a curfew.

Inspectors Mark Anthony Mercieca and Justine Grech are prosecuting.

Lawyers Arthur Azzopardi and Alfred Abela are defence counsel.